A total of 200 men and women from New York National Guard units are busy helping residents and businesses cope with Lake Ontario's rising waters.

"We're filling sandbags and doing some distribution," said Eric Durr, state spokesman for Guard unit, which serve a duel federal and state function. In times of emergency like this, The Guard serves at the pleasure of the governor, he said.

Use of the Guard in this situation is bring orchestrated by the state's Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Durr said there are 50 airmen and 150 soldiers out working - and will continue working until further notice. National Guard teams are currently helping out in Orleans County (Town Highway Garage in Kendall), in Monroe County (Hilton Maintenance Site), Wayne County (Sodus DPW/Water Treatment Site and the Williamson; Highwaty Barn), Oswego County (NYSDOT site in the town of Parish).

He said the following Guard units are involved:

"We have Soldiers assigned to the mission from the 642nd Aviation Maintenance Battalion which is based at the Patriot Way Armory in Rochester. The 642nd provides maintenance and logistical support to Army helicopter units.

"Other Soldiers supporting the mission are assigned to elements of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The 27th is headquarters at the Thompson Road Armory in Syracuse and has elements at other armories in the region.

"Airmen supporting the mission are assigned to the 174th Attack Wing based at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, as well as Airmen from the 107th Attack Wing based at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. The attack wings operate the MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft."

According to a press release from the governor's office earlier this week, the state has supplied the following "assets" to communities along the south shore of the lake and upper St. Lawrence River.

Cayuga County: 1 sandbagger , 75,000 sandbags

Jefferson County: 70,000 sandbags , 1 inmate crew from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to fill sandbags

Monroe County: 2 sandbaggers, 172,000 sandbags

Niagara County: 1 sandbagger, 60,000 sandbags, a 6-inch pump with 100 feet of suction and 300 feet of discharge hose for Town of Olcott

Orleans County: 90,000 sandbags, 4 inmate crews from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision which consists of six to eight inmates per crew to fill sandbags

Wayne County : 2 sandbaggers, 205,000 sandbags and one additional sandbagger, loaned from Ontario County is also operational.

Kristin Devoe, spokeswoman for the state's office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said as of this morning, more than 800,000 sandbags have been put in place by a variety of personnel in recent weeks along the south shore of Lake Ontario and the upper St Lawrence River.